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Category: Wise Words

Someone once asked me “why do you always insist on taking the hard road?”

I replied “why do you assume I see two roads?”

~Unknown

Maybe it’s because I’m taking a philosophy course (which I don’t think that’s entirely why) or because I’m always curious or because I’m always open to other perspectives (not that I agree with those perspectives, but I don’t mind listening to them), but this quote appealed to me because why is it that we assume others can see two roads?

We hear it all the time “why do you always have to do it the hard way?” or “I guess he/she has to learn it the hard way?” And I understand that in some cases, with most people, there usually is an “easy” way. When we don’t listen to those who’ve gone through things before, like our parents. When we read instructions or understand things could be done differently but we chose to do it the hard way, but what if, for that person, there is only one road? Everyone is different. No two people learn exactly the same way so why do we assume there is always an easy road and a hard road?

Truth is, maybe we shouldn’t assume. Maybe that experience, even though it may be “the hard way” to some, is exactly the way it has to be done for us to learn. Maybe our easy road is a hard road for others. How presumptuous it is to assume there are always two roads.

While I believe that in some things there are two roads, this quotes has me thinking that perhaps it is better of me to assume that this is the exception and not the standard or at the very least that in some cases, in certain experiences, to other people there is only one road. (Hm, how very INTPer of me, *laughs*)

Like this:

My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage.

Aunt Frances ~ Practical Magic

I can’t remember a time where I thought I was normal. I always felt a little bit … off from my classmates and friends. There were times when I felt a little upset that I couldn’t be more carefree like my peers or develop that laid back, chill out type of attitude most of the kids my age seem to exude (because I’m sure there were others out there who felt the same way, they just did a better job at ‘being normal’).

Which is why I appreciate Aunt Frances and her wisdom. I’m not saying I’m courageous, but she made it a point to make me see that being normal may not necessarily be something everyone should strive for either.

And what is normal anyway? Everyone has a unique personality with a blend of interests unique to them. What do others mean by normal? A community culture could behave and act a certain way but drive a few miles in another direction and that community culture would be very different, so wouldn’t that make someone not normal?

Maybe we’re using the wrong word. Maybe we should be saying things like “I wish I could be more peaceful” or “I wish I could blend in” (but it does sound a bit boring compared to ‘normal’).

All I can say is that normal doesn’t equal good or better. That being not normal does carry an air of courage. We wouldn’t have had the telephone, the computer, or moving pictures of those inventors were normal.

Like this:

When you look at the possibilities instead of the problems, the future is filled with endless opportunities.

Zig Ziglar

Imagine, for a moment, your life stretched out before you. As with all things, there is some good and some bad.

Think of how you would react to these ups and downs. I think it’s safe to say that most of us would respond positively to those up-moments, right? The same is true for reacting negatively to down-moments. I mean, everybody loves to be happy and nobody really wants to be mad/sad.

Now, imagine if you saw the possibilities those down-moments hold. Maybe a lesson that needs to be learned or a situation that teaches you how to help others? I get that sometimes there is no spinning a down-moment, but how much more up-moments would we have if we viewed everything as a possibility instead of a problem? I would imagine down-moments would significantly drop.

Hope is a powerful thing. It is sometimes the only motivation for pushing through challenges and hardship. However, it can also be destructive especially when it crosses over to expectation.

Looking forward is a power thing. Like hope, it motivates to get through things. Looking forward opens your mind to possibilities. It gets you excited about the future. Yet, more often than not we play the waiting game because we want to share this excitement with others. However, excitement dims when we wait too long to move forward.

Nothing like a good quote to sum things up.
This quote sticks with me for because of the point it makes. Often times, the unknown scares us. I know it sometimes scares me (except my curiosity usually trumps being scared, but not always). Not being in control. Not knowing what comes after. It’s intimidating. But this quote makes a good point. How can you achieve something you’ve never done by doing the same things?

The saying I use the most is attributed to Einstein but I haven’t found anyone in complete agreement with this attribution. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results (and I do want to point out this post by PsychologyToday.com that argues the use of insanity and it’s a really good point). If you don’t do something different, you’ll get the same things.

Doing different isn’t always comfortable (in fact, it almost never is), but if you want things to be different, want things that are different, guess what? You are going to have to do something different.

So, acknowledge your fear of the unknown. You can’t not feel fear. But acknowledge it, embrace it, and then jump!

Albert Einstein is a genius on so many levels, but I’m finding his quotes relatable (I think this is the second or third quote I’ve posted from Einstein.

I actually stumbled upon this quote while surfing Pinterest for INTP humor. I haven’t done a personality post (which, now that I think about it, I’m not sure why I never did. I’m guessing it’s because I was focusing on reviews. Huh.), but according to Myer-Briggs I’m an INTP and it turns out Albert Einstein is a famous INTPer, according to 16Personalities.com.

I love this quote since some view intelligence as being serious and some view creativity as not so serious. This quote blends the two and suggests that creativity is intelligence and that intelligence can be fun.